The rear delts (a muscle that is part of the shoulders) look a lot like the tiles behind the toilet. That is, both are quite difficult to reach, while other parts of your body (and service) can feel relatively easy to activate (or clean).
If you struggle to train your rear delts during upper body training, you may not be incorporating the best exercises.
The best dumbbell exercises to strengthen the rear deltoid
Standing rear flight
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, with a slight bend at the knees.
- Hold a lighter pair of dumbbells, with your hands in a neutral position (palms facing each other).
- Hinge at the waist and lean your torso forward until it is almost parallel to the ground.
- Leading with a slight bend in the elbows, lift the weights until they are at shoulder level.
- Slowly lower the weights back to the starting position.
Dumbbell facepull
- Begin by lying on an incline bench on your stomach, holding a pair of lightweight dumbbells in an overhead position.
- With your elbows bent at about 90 degrees, bring the dumbbells up to about eye level.
- Simultaneously rotate your forearm and wrist to bring your hands closer to your ears.
- Pause here, pinching your shoulder blades together.
- Reverse the movement with the control back to the starting position.
Dumbbell Rear Deltoid Row
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a pair of dumbbells in an upright position.
- Push your hips back and slightly bend your knees. Lean your torso forward until it is parallel to the ground. This is the initial position.
- Maintaining a 90 degree bend in the elbows, row the dumbbells up to eye level, bringing the elbows back as far as possible.
- Reverse the movement slowly to return to the starting position.
Keep your elbows high and away from your torso to really target your rear delts rather than your lats (upper back).
Seated rear delts
- Sit on the edge of a bench or chair, knees bent at 90 degrees, feet flat on the floor.
- Lean forward until your torso is almost parallel to the ground, with your back flat.
- Hold a pair of light dumbbells at your sides, palms facing inward. This is the initial position.
- Leading with a slight bend in the elbows, lift the weights up to shoulder height.
- Lower the weight with control and avoid using momentum.
Arnold Press
- Begin seated with a dumbbell in each hand, with your back flat.
- Bend the dumbbells up in front of your body, elbows bent at 90 degrees in line with shoulders, palms facing inward.
- Spread your elbows and turn your palms out. Your arms will be in a pole position.
- Press the weights directly onto your shoulders.
- Lower the weights back with control and reverse the movement to return to the starting position.
For this exercise, you will want to choose a pair of dumbbells that are slightly lighter than your usual set of shoulder presses.
